Mailing device.



No. 886,843. I PATENTED MAY 5, 190a J. R. MoLBLLAN.

MAILING DEVICE;

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 28, 1907.

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rnvrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH R. MCLELLAN, OF WICHITA, KANSAS.

MAILING DEVICE.

To all 107207 it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosEPH R. MoLELLAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Wichita, in the county of Sedgwick and State of Kansas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Mailing Devices, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inthat type of receptacles which are employed for transmitting articles ofmerchandise from place to place as by mail or express, the object of theinvention being to provide a simple and effective device of thischaracter which is peculiarly designed so as to be sealed by means of apostage stamp or like member in such a manner as to prevent anytampering with the contents thereof without detection. To this end thereceptacle comprises essentially a base piece formed with a pocket forreceiving the article of merchandise, and a cover plate closing thereceptacle andfitting against the base piece, the cover and base piecebeing connected by a novel form of securing means which can be readilysealed by means of a postage stamp.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and alsoto acquire a knowledge of the details of construction and the means foreffecting the result, reference is to be had to the followingdescription and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mailing device constructed inaccordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a similar View of thebase pieces of the mailing device. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the coverplate showing a portion of the address slip in the position assumed whenbeing applied to the cover plate. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectionalview through one end of the receptacle showing the locking meansemployed for connecting the base piece and cover plate. Fig. 5 is atransverse sectional view through the receptacle on a reduced scale.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

The numeral 1 designates the base'piece which may be of any desired typeand is in the nature of a plate having the edges thereof extendedupwardly to form the flanges 2, one of the end flanges being formed withthe openings 3. Carried by the base piece 1 is Specification of LettersPatent.

Application filed March 28, 1907.

Patented May 5, 1908.

Serial No. 365,013.

the receptacle for receiving the article being mailed, and in thepresent instance this receptacle is in the nature of a chamber 4 pressedoutwardly from the plate forming the base piece 1.. This chamber 4 maybe of any desired shape or size as required by the na ture of thearticle which it is designed to receive. Closing the mouth of thechamber 4 is a plate 5 which fits against the base piece 1 and isreceived by the flanges 2 projecting from the edges of the said basepiece. The outer face of the plate 5 is designed to receive a card oraddress slip 6 and for this purpose the opposite longitudinal edges ofthe plate 5 are bent backwardly upon themselves as indicated at 7 forthe purpose of forming guideways to engage the address slip and retaining the same in position. One end of the plate 5 is formed with theextensions 8. designed to enter the openings 3 when the cover plate 5 isin normal position. The same end of the plate 5 is also preferablyformed with the ears 9 which are bent backwardly into engagement withthe corresponding edge of the address slip. At a point adjacent theopposite end of the plate 5 an opening 10 is formed which receives atongue 11 pressed outwardly from the base piece 1. The extremity of thetongue 11 is perforated as indicated at 12 and a key 13 w ich is in thenature of a flexible strip of metal or like matcrial is passed throughthe said perforation.

After the article of merchandise has been properly positioned within thereceptacle 4 the extensions 8 at one end of the late 5 are placed withinthe openings 3 and the said plate then swung against the base piece 1between the flanges 2 so as to close the mouth of the receptacle 4. Thetwo ends of the flexible strip 13 which were previously bent 9 againsteach other so as to readily pass through the opening 10 are then spreadapart and pressed against the outer face of the address slip 6. Thereceptacle can then be readily sealed so that it can not be opened ortampered with without detection by placing a postage stamp 14 or likemember over the end portions of the key 13.

When it is desired to open the mailing receptacle the desired result canbe quickly accomplished by scratching away a portion of the stamp andlifting the two end portions of the flexible strip 13 into engagementwith each other so that the plate 5 can be swung outwardly and thenmoved laterally to disengage the extensions 8 from the openings 3. Iffound desirable the address slip 6 may be formed of a double thicknessof material and the inner thickness employed for receiving the order orany message which it might be desired to transmit.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a basepiece provided with an outstanding flange, a receptacle carried by thebase piece, a plate closing the receptacle and fitting against the basepiece, one end of the plate having an interlocking connection with theoutstanding flange, and a flexible tongue carried by the base piece andengaging the op )osite end of the plate.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a basepiece provided at one end with an outstanding flange, a flexible tonguecarried by the opposite end of the base piece, a receptacle carried bythe base piece, a plate closing the receptacle and fitting against thebase piece, one end of the plate having an interlocking connection withthe before mentioned outstanding flange while the opposite end isperforated to receive the flexible tongue, and a seal for the flexibletongue.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of a basepiece, a receptacle carried by the base piece, a plate closing thereceptacle and fitting against the base piece, opposite edges of theplate being provided with guide ways, a slip engaged by the guide ways,and means for securing an interlocking connection between the plate andthe base piece.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of a basepiece, a receptacle carried by the base piece, a plate closing thereceptacle and provided with oppositely disposed guide ways, one end ofthe plate having an interlocking connection with the base piece, aflexible tongue carried by the base piece and engaging the opposite endof the plate and a slip held in position by the guide ways upon theplate.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination of a basepiece )rovided upon its edges with outstanding anges, a receptaclecarried by the base piece, a plate closing the receptacle and fittingagainst the base piece, the said plate being received Within the beforementioned flanges and being provided at one end with an extension and atthe opposite end with an opening, oppositely disposed guide ways beingformed upon the plate, a slip engaged by the guide ways, and a flexibletongue carried by the base piece and designed to engage the perforationin the plate, the extension upon the plate being designed to have aninterlocking connection with the outstanding flanges of the base piece.

In testimony whereof I all ix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JOSEPH R. MOLELLAN.

Witnesses CHARLES NOYES,

J. (l. I'IADLER.

